Flowers, Swanson Recognized By LR Touchdown Club

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - A pair of Razorbacks have been selected as the inaugural winners of two awards by the Little Rock Touchdown Club, it was announced Friday.

Defensive end Trey Flowers will receive the Dan Hampton Award for the most outstanding college defensive lineman in the state of Arkansas, and Rimington Trophy finalist Travis Swanson is the first recipient of the Willie Roaf Award for the most outstanding collegiate offensive lineman in Arkansas. The award winners were chosen by members of the state’s sports media and the award namesakes.

A second-team All-SEC selection in 2013, Flowers finished the season with 44 tackles, including 13.5 for loss with 5.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception, two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries. His average of 1.23 tackles for loss per game ranked second in the SEC and 35th in the NCAA, and his tackles for loss total tied for fourth in the conference. His tackles for loss accounted for 58 yards lost, tied for the ninth-highest total in the SEC. He recorded 9.5 tackles for loss in conference play, which ranked fourth in the SEC. The Huntsville, Ala., native also tied for second in the conference and for 23rd in the country with three forced fumbles.

Through his first three seasons as a Razorback, Flowers has recorded 122 tackles, 32.0 for loss with 12.0 sacks, 17 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, seven pass breakups and one interception. He is tied for 11th on Arkansas’ career tackles for loss list and is tied for 16th on the school’s career sacks list. In addition to his All-SEC inclusion in 2013, he also was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2011. The economics major has earned recognition on the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and the Razorback Honor Roll for his work in the classroom.

Swanson’s final season at Arkansas was among the best in the country. He was one of six finalists for the Rimington Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s most outstanding center, in addition to becoming the third first-team All-American center in program history and a first-team All-SEC selection.

Swanson earned a grade of 80 percent or higher eight times, including 90 percent vs. No. 10 Texas A&M, and registered 74 knockdown blocks in 2013. The Kingwood, Texas, native led an offensive line that blocked as Alex Collins became the 10th true freshman in SEC history to rush for 1,000 yards and as Collins and Jonathan Williams became the second Razorback duo to each reach at least 900 rushing yards in one season. The offensive line, which featured two true freshmen starting the final eight games, also broke the single-season school record by only allowing 8.0 sacks. Arkansas led the SEC and ranked third in the NCAA with an average of 0.67 sacks allowed per game. The Razorbacks’ average of one sack allowed for every 37.63 pass attempts was the best in the conference and sixth in the nation.

Swanson started all 50 games of his career, the first Razorback to start 50 consecutive games and just the second to start 50 in a career. He was elected as a team captain in 2012 and 2013 to become the 11th Razorback to serve consecutive seasons as a captain. Swanson has accepted an invitation to the 2014 Senior Bowl and will participate in the nation’s top showcase of senior talent for NFL evaluators with a week of practices leading up to the Jan. 25 game in Mobile, Ala.

Flowers and Swanson will be presented their awards at the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s annual awards banquet Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. The event, which will also recognize Paul Eells Award winner Kiero Small and an MVP from each team in the state, will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Little Rock. Lou Holtz is the banquet’s keynote speaker. Tickets are $50 for general admission and $100 for reserved seating. To learn more, visit LRTouchdown.com.

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